Document Freedom Day about to move into the hands of the Digital Freedom Foundation
The Free Software Foundation Europe is delighted to hand over the organisation of the international Document Freedom Day to the Digital Freedom Foundation. Document Freedom Day is the global campaign for document liberation and awareness of Open Standards with grassroots events throughout the world. The Digital Freedom Foundation is best known to organise Software Freedom Day, the international day to celebrate Free Software.
Document Freedom Day (DFD) was initiated in 2008 as a global rallying point for Document Liberation, as a counterstatement to the adoption of OOXML standard. What started under the umbrella of Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) with a broad support by international organisations became an annual event to rise awareness about document liberation and the importance of Open Standards. During the years we had some hundreds events all over the globe, we have seen impressive artwork, inspiring comics and videos and we have seen political parties, companies and non-profit organisations using Document Freedom Day to let the world know about the power and freedom of interoperability.
After 8 years, however, the FSFE sees the potential to further broaden Document Freedom Day as the day of Open Standards by handing over the campaign to an organisation that has best experience in running global awareness campaigns, the Digital Freedom Foundation (DFF). The DFF is known to run the Software Freedom Day (SFD) campaign, the Education Freedom Day and the Hardware Freedom Day. This way, DFD's vibrant community can profit from synergy effects and the experience that DFF bring with them.
"DFD and the FSFE are really happy about the Digital Freedom Foundation taking over Document Freedom Day and we look forward to this cooperation." says Erik Albers, DFD's campaign manager. "The DFF is free to come up with new ideas or minor changes to the campaigns concept but we keep DFD as it is: A campaign to promote Open Standards with group participation on a local level."
"The Digital Freedom Foundation is excited to continue the now 8 year old celebration initiated by the Free Software Foundation Europe. We look forward to add an event as important as promoting Open Standards worldwide to what we do. Our past cooperations with the FSFE have given us great confidence into working together and DFD is a great opportunity to yet work again on something both organisations feel important to their core values." says Frederic Muller, President of the Digital Freedom Foundation.
Save the date: Next Document Freedom Day will be on March 30, 2016, and the call for events will follow soon.